Laundry flatwork feeder



Aug. 3, 1965 B. WITHORN ETAL LAUNDRY FLATWORK FEEDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1962 L: INVENTOR$- THJZ/V Adz/CK 5. Cum/vs ATTORNEY.

3, 1955 B. WITHORN ETAL LAUNDRY FLATWORK FEEDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1962 INVENTOR fizwAM/A Mr/me/v BY k /z fi ATTORNEY.

3, 1965 B. WITHORN ETAL 3,198,516

LAUNDRY FLATWORK FEEDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 12, 1962 INVENTORS.

lllllllll n M 0 W m A w W w w M Z A M; EW f 5A s B NMN vWN WhN mwN WNN United States Patent 3,198,516 LAUNDRY FLATWORK FEEDER Benjamin Withorn, 1200 N. Kenilworth St, Arlington, Va., and Aulick 13. Collins, Arlington, Va.; said Collins assignor to said Withorn Filed Feb. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 172,723 3 Claims. (Cl. 271-45) The present invention relates generally to laundry apparatus and more specifically to a fabric feeder adaptable for use in conjunction with a flatwork ironer.

In the operation of flatwork ironers, an improvement in the quality of the finished product usually requires a decrease in the speed at which the ironer is operated. Conditioning of fabrics prior to entry into the ironer would be effective to produce improved quality without the disadvantage of reduced capacity; however, this feeding normally requires for each ironer the attention of two to four operators to transport fabrics to the ironer, to position the fabrics initially to be gripped by the homer, and to spread and smooth the fabrics throughout the time that they are feeding into the ironer in an attempt to precondition them and prevent formation of wrinkles and creases. This manual operation is not entirely successful since the preconditioning does not improve quality to a significant degree. Additionally, if only two operators are used, gaps will be created between fabrics due to. the fact that the operators must tend each piece until it has completely fed into the ironer and then pick up a subsequent piece for delivery thereto. This creates a situation in which the ironer is inetfectually and wastefully operated for a period of time commensurate with the gaps between fabrics. Moreover, a good deal of waste motion of the, operators is prevalent thereby detracting from the efficiency and economy of the operation. The present invention is directed to overcoming these and other problems existing in laundry operation, and to permit a reduction in the number of operators necessary for higher quality laundry results.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved laundry feeder which preconditions flatwork to increase ironer capacity without decreasing the quality of the finished product. 7

Another object is to obviate the necessity for tending flatwork throughout the time it is being fed into an ironer.

A further object is to make possible the continuous uninterrupted feeding of flatwork to an ironer.

A further broad object of this invention is to decrease cost and inefiiciency in laundry facilities while concurrently increasing capacity and the quality of finished work.

Briefly, the present invention may be described as comprising two groups of divergent belts and a plurality of tapered rollers extending thereacross. Flatwork is fed between the divergent belts and tapered rollers, and a pair of canted belts driven in opposed directions frictionally engage the flatwork to smooth it prior to engagement between said divergent belts and tapered rollers.

The exact nature of this invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will be readily apparent and better understood by reference to the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation looking along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

3,198,516 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 ice FIG. 4 is a front elevation, partially broken away,

7 looking along the line 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

The device illustrated includes a supporting frame comprised of upstanding legs 10 having casters 12 on the ends thereof and horizontal members 14 appropriately interconnected with legs 10 as by welding or the like. A motor 16, mounted on the frame and adapted to be moved leftwardly or rightwardly of the machine (as viewed in FIG. 1) .on members 17 by operation of a crank and screw mechanism 18, drives a variable diameter gear 20 through a shaft 22. V A gear 24 firmly aflixed to a drive rod 26 meshes with gear 20 to be-driven thereby and movement of the motor by means of crank 18 changes the working diameter of gear 20 and varies the speed at which gear 24 and rod 26 are driven. It is to be understood that although the variable speed transmission means between motor 16 and rod 26 is shown to comprise the gears 20 and 24, any other suitable means, such as a split pulley arrangement, may be used instead.

Drive rod 26 is rotatably supported on several of the horizontal members 14 by means of bearing elements 28 and carries a series of pulleys 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 to which are attached, respectively, drive belts 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52. The belts 42-52 are attached to a series of driven pulleys and, as will be hereinafter explained, they serve to transmit driving power from the motor 16 to thevarious operating elements of the machine.

- Located in the upper section of the machine are front rollers 54 and 60 andrear rollers 56 and 58, with rollers 54 and 56 having a plurality of endless belts 62 wound thereabout and rollers 58 and 60 having a plurality of endless belts 64 wound thereabout. The rollers 54 and 56 positioned in parallel relationship are slanted with their outer ends located forwardly of their inner ends, and rotation thereof causes the belts 62 to be driven in a direction leftwardly of the machine (as viewed in FIG. 1). Slanting of rollers 58 and 60, which are also positioned in parallel relationship, is in a manner opposite to the slanting of rollers 54 and 56, and rotation of rollers 58 and 60 drives belts 64 in a direction rightwardly of the machine.

Front rollers 54 and 60, rotatably supported in end bearing elements 66, 68 and 88, which are mounted on the frame by means of members such as extensions 70, 7'2 and 92, 94 have pulleys 74 and 96 affixed to the outer ends thereof driven by belts 44 and 50. Rear rollers 56 and 58 which act as idler rollers are rotatably supported in end bearing elements 76, 78 and 9 8, 100 mounted on the frame by means such as arms 80 and 102 pivoted on frame extensions 82 and 104 by pins 84 and 108, with adjusting screw assemblies 86 and 106 adaptable to pivot arms 80 and 1112 thereby effecting adjustment of tension in divergent belts 62 and 64.

Positioned above belts 62 and 64 is a pair of tapered rollers 110 and 112 rotatably supported in end bearing elements 114, 11-6 and 118,120 held on the ends of arms 122, 124 :and 1:26, 1 28 which are pivoted on frame extensions 1'50, 132 and 134, 1336 by means of pins 138, and 142, 144. The tapering of rollers 1'10 and 1.12 is such that their middle portions have a larger diameter than the ends thereof and the pivotal connections of pins 138, 140 and .142, 144 allow the rollers 1 10 and 1 12 to rest on belts 62 and 64 for the entire length of the rollers, with the centrally located belts being deflected somewhat more than the belts closer to the ends of the rollers. The force exerted on the belts 62 and 64 by the Weight of rollers 110 and 112 may be adjusted by mean-s of adjusting screw assemblies 146, 148 and 150, 152 which are threaded in horizontal members 14 of the frame and which carry blocks 154, 156 and 158, 160 (blocks 154 and 160 positioned on the left ends of rollers 110 and 1112 as indicated in FIG. 3) engaging the underside of end'bearing elements 114, 1-16 and 1 18, 120 respectively, to raise and lower rollers 1 and 112.

Positioned in the rear of the upper section of the machine are two groups of endless belts 162 and 164 wound about a cylindrical roller 166 and a smaller diameter cylindrical .roller 168, both of which are essentially parallel with the front of the machine. The roller 166 is rotatably supported by end bearings 170 and 172 which are firmly mounted on triangular frame extensions 174 and .176, and a pair of pulleys 17 1 and 173 firmly afrixed to opposite ends of roller 166 are driven by belts 42 and 52 to rotate roller 16 6 and thereby drive belts 162 and 164.

A pair of levers 178 and 180 are rotatably mounted on opposite ends of rollers 166 by bearing elements 182 and 184, and a pair of pivoted screws and slide adjustors 186 and 188 mounted between triangular frame extensions'17'4, 176 and levers 178, 180 permit the levers 178,

180 to be adjustably supported for pivotal motion about the ends of roller 166. The roller 168 is non-rotatably mounted on the free ends of levers 178 and 180 by screw and nut connectors 190 and 192 which adapt the roller '168 to be moved forwardly and rearwardly of the machine to adjustthe tension in belts 162 and 164.

Also mounted on levers 178 and 180 is a pair of up right posts 194 and 196 carrying pins 198 and 200 on which are pivoted arms 202 and 204. A tapered roller 206, whose center diameter is larger than the diameter at its ends, rests across belts 1 62 and 164 and is rotatably supported at its ends in bearing elements 208 and 210 carried by pivoted arms 202 and 204. A pair of adjustment screws 212 and 214 threadedly supported by levers 1'78 and-1 80 carry blocks 216 and 218 which engage bearing elements 208 and 210 to raise and l ower roller 206 when. screws 212 and 214 are turned thereby permitting adjustment of the force exerted on belts 162 and 164 by the weight of roller 206. i V

A plurality of thin, elongated spacers 219, provided to maintain a proper spaced relationship between belts 62, 64 and between belts 162, 1 64, are wound about rollers 56 and 166 and about rollers 58 and 166 and have their ends immovably fixed as at 221 and 223. The spacers 219 also serve to prevent flatwork from being carried downwardly between belts 62, 64 and 162, 164

thereby insuring that the fiatwork is smoothly carried from front to rear of the machine.

Located in the upper front section of the machine is a pair of endless belts 220 and 222 mounted on pulleys 224, 226 and 228, 230. Pulley 224 is mounted on a shaft 232 located in the left side of the machine and pulley 230 is mounted on .a shaft 234 located on the right side of the machine with each of the shafts 234- and 232 supported on the machine frame by similar structures. The mounting structure for shaft 234 includes a pair of frame extensions 236 and 238 carrying bearing elements 240 and 242 on which shaft 234 is rotatably supported. A pair of collars 244 and 246 is keyed to shaft 234 in a conventional manner to prevent axial sliding motion thereof and a pulley 248 engaging drive belt 48 is fixed to shaft 234 and transmits rotational driving motion thereto with a similar pulley 250 engaging belt 46 to transmit rotational driving motion to shaft 232.

The mounting for pulleys 226 and 228, best shown in FIG. 6, includes a bar 252 supported "by a frame extens1on 254. Two pairs of legs 256, 258 and 260, 262 are attached to opposite ends of bar 252 by any suitable connecting means as at 264 and 266, and pulleys 226 and 228 are rotatably supported in a conventional manner between legs 256, 258 and 260, 262 by pins 268 and 270.

Drive belts 46 and 48 are Wound on pulleys 250 and 248 in such a manner that belts 220 and 22-2 are driven 4 in opposite directions, with the outer surface of each belt moving outwardly of the machine as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4. Additionally, pulleys 226 and 228 are positioned on the machine at a higher elevation than pulleys 224 and 230 :thereby imparting to belts 220 and 222 a downward component of motion. The rotational axes of pulleys 224-230 are sloped to form a transverse angle with the horizontal plane of the machine thereby providing a canted arrangement for the belts i220 and 222.

The entire machine may be encased in a housing indicated by the dotted lines 272, made of sheet metal or other suitable material and provided with openings as at 274 and 276 for belts 62, 64,220 and 222.

Operation 7 i The machine may be operatively located adjacent related equipment such as a flatwork iron whose position is indicated by dotted line 278, and flatwork, such as bedsheets, tablecloths or the like to be fed to the fiatwork iron are placed with their leading edge on the belts 62 and 64 at the front of the machine. The leading edge of the fiat work is held taut to prevent the formation of wrinkles and, as belts 44 and 50 drive rollers 54 and 60 (as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3) in a clockwise direction, the fiatwork will be carried rearwardly of the machine into engagement between belts 62, 64 and tapered roller The canted belts 220 and 222, which frictionally engage the fiatwork prior to its engagement by belts 62 and 64, perform an important function by maintaining taut the portion of the flatwork which overhangs the front of the machine. This is accomplished as a result of the downward and outward motion imparted to the outer surfaces of bolts 220 and 222 which act to impart a stretching and pulling action to the fiatwork. In this manner, the fiatwork is fed to belts 62 and 64 in a creaseless, wrinklefree condition thereby obviating the necessity for providing attendants performing this function; and fiatwork, which may be accumulated in the space provided beneath the front overhang. of the machine, will automatically feed unattended in continuous lengths to belts 62 and 64.

As the fiatwork feeds rearwardly of the machine on belts 62, 64 and beneath tapered rollers 110, 112, the diverging directions of travel of belts 62 and 64 effect a spreading andsmoothing of the flatwork, and this action is augmented by the tapered configuration of rollers and 112 which cooperate with belts 62 and 64 to impart a positive feeding action to the flatwork while concur- Iently implementing the smoothing and spreading operation. Adjustment screws 146, 148and 150, 152 may be manipulated to vary the pressure between rollers 110, 112

' as it passes over this section of the machine and into the ironer. The speed of travel of the belts 162 and 164 may be maintained slightly greater than that of belts 62 and 64 to impart a longitudinal pulling action to the fiatwork and to commence flatwork travel at a rate commensurate with the speed of the ironer and this may be accomplished by providing pulleys 171 and 173 of a different diameter than that of pulleys 30 and 40.

Additionally, the rear section of the machine may be adjusted to feed flatwork at a height commensurate with the height of the ironer by manipulation of the pivoted screw and slide adjustors 186 and 188. By loosening rotated about pins 189 and 191 to pivot levers 178 and about roller 166 thereby raising or lowering belts 162 and 164 to the height of the flatwork iron.

If it is desired to vary the speed at which flatwork is fed to the ironer, this may be accomplished by manipulation of crank 18 to change the working diameter of gear 20 thereby decreasing or increasing the feeding rate of the entire machine.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that through utilization of the present invention, flatwork may be continuously fed to an ironer at an increased rate of speed and in an improved condition thereby providing improved economy and increased capacity of laundering facilities. The belts 220 and 222 perform a function that would normally require two operators, while the remainder of the machine conditions flatwork and feeds it to an ironer in a manner which effects substantially improved quality without sacrificing speed or capacity.

Moreover, it is to be understood that although the basic elements of the invention have been described in combination, they may be adapted to operate individually to perform their individual functions. Thus, it would be possible to use the belts 220 and 222 alone by placing them directly on the front of a fiatwork ironer to operate substantially as herein described. Such an arrangement would have the benefit of relieving the operators of the ironer from the burden of flufiing and spreading the sheet while it is being fed into the ironer thereby achieving increased efiiciency of operation.

Likewise, the arrangement comprising belts 62, 64 and tapered rollers 110, 112 could be adapted for individual use without the belts 220 and 222 where it is desired to feed flatwork to an ironer to maintain a given level of quality in the operation thereof without decreasing the rate at which fiatwork is turned out. Belts and tapered rollers of any desired size could be utilized to perform the feeding operation, and the spreading and smoothing operation to thereby improve the quality and capacity of laundering facilities.

Therefore, it will be apparent that many modifications and variations may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is therefore intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown on the drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry device for feeding fabrics to a flatwork 6 ironer comprising a horizontally disposed surface formed of a plurality of divergent groups of endless belts for concurrently driving and guiding said fabrics, said divergent groups of endless belts extending from the front of said device and diverging outwardly from a position medial of said surface to a position outwardly of said medial position, a tapered roller means extending across said divergent belts, said tapered roller means tapering from a larger diameter at the medial position of said device to a smaller diameter at a position outwardly thereof for pressing said fabrics to said divergent position to effect a spreading action for the fabrics, two canted belts positioned forwardly of and below said groups of divergent belts frictionally engaging said fabrics during driving action to maintain it taut, means driving said canted belts away from each other and against the direc tion of said driving action, straight belt means moving in alignment with said driving direction positioned rearwardly of said groups of divergent belts engaging said fabric to increase the driving speed thereof, and second tapered roller means extending across said straight belt means pressing said fabric to said straight belt means.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means adjustably pivoting said first and second tapered roller means to vary the pressure exerted thereby on said fabric.

3. The combination of claim 1 including means adjustably pivoting said straight belt means to feed said fabric at a height commensurate with the height of said flatwork ironer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,891,782 12/32 Sager 38143 1,925,582 9/33 Couch 388 X 2,110,437 3/38 Couch. 2,585,834 2/52 Pocock 38-143 2,624,138 1/53 Taylor 38-143 FOREIGN PATENTS 674,253 6/52 Great Britain.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. LEIGHEY, RAPHAEL M. LUPO,

Examiners. 

1. A LAUNDRY DEVICE FOR FEEDING FABRICS TO A FLATWORK IRONER COMPRISING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SURFACES FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF DIVERGENT GROUPS OF ENDLESS BELTS FOR CONCURRENTLY DRIVING AND GUIDING SAID FABRICS, SAID DIVERGENT GROUPS OF ENDLESS BELTS EXTENDING FROM THE FRONT OF SAID DEVICE AND DIVERGING OUTWARDLY FROM A POSITION MEDIAL OF SAID SURFACE TO A POSITION OUTWARDLY OF SAID MEDIAL POSITION, A TAPERED ROLLER MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID DIVERGENT BELTS, SAID TAPERED ROLLER MEANS TAPERING FROM A LARGER DIAMETER AT THE MEDIAL POSITION OF SAID DEVICE TO A SMALLER DIAMETER AT A POSITION OUTWARDLY THEREOF FOR PRESSING SAID FABRICS TO SAID DIVERGENT POSITION TO EFFECT A SPREADING ACTION FOR THE FABRICS, TWO CANTED BELTS POSITIONED FORWARDLY OF AND BELOW SAID GROUPS OF DIVERGENT BELTS FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING SAID FABRICS DURING DRIVING ACTION TO MAINTAIN IT TAUT, MEANS DRIVING SAID CANTED BELTS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND AGAINST THE DIRECTION OF SAID DRIVING ACTION, STRAIGHT BELT MEANS MOVING IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID DRIVING DIRECTION POSITIONED REARWARDLY OF SAID GROUPS OF DIVERGENT BELTS ENGAGING SAID FABRIC TO INCREASE THE DRIVING SPEED THEREOF, AND SECOND TAPERED ROLLER MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID STRAIGHT BELT MEANS PRESSING SAID FABRIC TO SAID STRAIGHT BELT MEANS. 